On the occasion of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the meeting with Dr. Imad Mrad, Lebanese University lecturer, popular historian and politician, was a unique opportunity for Mesrobian’s secondary school students to hear a comprehensive analysis of the centuries-old history of Armenians, from the beginning of Armenian nation to the present day.
The meeting with Dr. Mrad took place within the framework of the ‘café historique’ annual plan on April 22, 2024, in Mesrobian’s Farajian auditorium.
After the opening speech of the teacher Mrs. Hasna Abou Elias, the head of department of the secondary school, Mr. Adib Gemayel, introduced the speaker of the day and invited him to present his lecture.
Dr. Mrad first greeted the students and the educational community of Mesrobian on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the school’s foundation and broadly talked about Mesrobian’s history, particularly mentioning the role of Cardinal Aghajanian not only in the school’s creation, but also in many crucial events in Lebanon and abroad. He stated that Cardinal Aghajanian played a major role in Lebanese politics, playing the role of a conciliator, especially in the conflicts between the Lebanese Christian parties. Dr. Mrad expressed his highest appreciation for the Cardinal's undertaking as a leader of Faith and Justice by global standards.
Then the lecturer reflected on the benefit and contribution of the Armenian civilization in human history since the establishment of the Armenian nation. He especially emphasized on the Armenians being the first nation to adopt Christianity as their state religion, a fact which had a decisive significance for their future history.
Dr. Mrad presented to the students the geopolitical conditions in which the Armenian liberation struggle came into existence until the beginning of the 20th century. He pointed out that the Armenian Genocide did not begin in 1915, but decades before that, with Hamid's plans for the eradication of Armenians. The speaker placed the sequestration of Artsakh in the context of the same policy of pan-turanism which caused human and territorial losses that should not be forgotten, but on the contrary, should remain the objective of the struggle for the restoration of justice, for which the international community is also responsible.
The lecturer brought up the importance of Christian faith in the Armenians’ struggle for survival, stressing that this faith is the greatest source of courage which makes the Armenians shine.
Mesrobian’s Principal, Mr. Gregoire Kaloust, thanked Dr. Mrad for this lecture which unveiled important revelations to the attendees. He assured that the Armenian people's struggle for their rights is relentless, highlighting the mission of the Armenian school in the preparation of committed and conscious Armenians. On this occasion, Mr. Kaloust honored Dr. Mrad with a souvenir bearing Mesrobian’s symbol after which all those present gathered in front of the statue of Saint Mesrob for a commemorative photo.